Friday, July 1, Eyewitness News at 11

GOOD EVENING AND THANKS FOR JOINING US..
I'M LEAH JOHNSON..
FRANK MALLOY HAS THE NIGHT OFF...

FRENCH BANKER AND FORMER HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND DOMINIQUE STRAUSS-KAHN IS FREE FROM HOUSE ARREST.
PROSECUTORS ADMIT THERE'S TROUBLE WITH WHAT THEY ONCE CONSIDERED AN IRONCLAD CASE OF SEX ASSAULT CHARGES AGAINST HIM.
RANDALL PINKSTON HAS THE LATEST FROM MANHATTAN.
<<((NATS))

((NARR -1)) (locator: Lower Manhattan 00-05)

A brief 12 minutes in court, and Dominique Strauss-Kahn walked out an "almost-free" man.

((SOT)) Justice Michael J. Obus/ State Supreme Court (:07-:14)

" T he defendant will be released on his own recognizance. The only restriction is that the people will continue to hold his travel documents."

((SOT)) DSK: "Thank you, your honor."

((NARR-2))

The turnaround came when prosecutors revealed the hotel maid who accused Strauss-Kahn of sexual assault lied about her whereabouts following the alleged attack.

Prosecutors spelled out other inconsistencies about the accuser in a letter to Strauss-Kahn's defense attorneys. They include lying to get into the country from her native Guinea. The prosecutor said some of the admissions were provided by the woman's own attorney, who insists the facts of the case are unchanged.

((SOT)) Ken Thompson/ Accuser's Attorney (:48-:53)

" THE VICTIM HERE MADE SOME MISTAKES. BUT THAT DOESN'T MEAN THAT SHE'S NOT A RAPE VICTIM

((STANDUP BRIDGE)) Randall Pinkston, CBS NEWS, New York (:53-1:05)

Strauss Khan's attorneys have always insisted that what happened in the hotel room was not a crime. He still faces multiple sex assault charges but the defense hopes they will be dropped.

((SOT)) William Taylor/Defense Attorney (1:05-1:17)

"It's so important in this country that people - especially the media - reserve their judgments on the facts of the case until they are all in."

((NARR-4))
STRAUSS - KAHN'S ARREST RESULTED IN HIM LOSING HIS JOB AS HEAD OF THE INTERNATIONAL MONETARY FUND. BUT THERE MAY BE TIME FOR HIM TO ENTER THE RACE FOR PRESIDENT OF FRANCE - IF HE IS CLEARED OF ALL CHARGES HERE BY THE JULY 13TH FILING DEADLINE.
>> SOON AFTER HE RETURNED TO THE TOWNHOUSE WHERE HE'S BEEN STAYING... STRAUSS-KAHN RECEIVED AN ARRANGEMENT OF RED... WHITE AND BLUE BALLOONS... AND ANOTHER ONE SHAPED LIKE THE STATUE OF LIBERTY.

THIS AFTERNOON... SOME HADDOCK BANK TELLERS... CASHED OUT FOR THE LAST TIME AT JONES COUNTY BANK.
WOODY WOODCOCK SAYS... HIS GRANDFATHER OPENED THE BANK BACK IN 19-05... AND UNTIL RECENTLY... IT'S BEEN A FAMILY OWNED BUSINESS.
HE SAYS HE TOOK CHARGE OF THE BUSINESS FOR 41 YEARS... UNTIL HE SOLD IT IN 2008 TO UNITED CENTRAL BANK... A TEXAS COMPANY ... WHEN HE RETIRED.
WORKERS AT THE BANK SAY THE TEXAS COMPANY CLOSED ITS DOORS... FOR FINANCIAL REASONS.
IT'S THE ONLY BANK IN HADDOCK... AND LOCALS SAY A BIG PART OF THE SMALL TOWN.
WOODCOCK SAYS... IT'S WHAT HE LEARNED ABOUT BANKING FROM HIS FAMILY... THAT CREATED A STRONG RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE BANK... AND COMMUNITY.
Woody Woodcock, Haddock: "You're always friendly with your customers, you know them. So it was different than just being a bank President and a customer walking in off the street, and negotiating business and loans, in that you knew them. And that made it special to me, and I think it's very special to my customers."
WOODCOCK SAYS CUSTOMERS ARE NOW TAKING THEIR ACCOUNTS TO BANKS IN GRAY... OR MILLEDGEVILLE.

PEOPLE THROUGHOUT CENTRAL GEORGIA MADE THE TRIP DOWN TO MCCONNELL TALBERT STADIUM TO CHECK OUT WARNER ROBINS ANNUAL INDEPENDENCE DAY CONCERT.
WE WERE THERE AS FOLKS ROCKED TO THE MUSIC OF THE BAND OF THE AIR FORCE RESERVE AND THE COUNTRY SOUNDS OF WYNONNA JUDD.
ORGANIZERS WITH ROBINS AIR FORCE BASE SAY THE EVENT WORKS TO RECOGNIZE AND HONOR MILITARY TROOPS AND BRING FAMILIES TOGETHER FOR A GOOD TIME.
WE TALKED WITH PEOPLE WHO SAY IT'S A SUMMERTIME TRADITION THAT THEY LOOK FORWARD TO.
" Well, it's kind of a family tradition.... it's just fun...
" I'm a hard core country music fan....spririt of Warner Robins."
MAJOR DON SCHOFIELD SAYS THE BAND OF THE AIR FORCE RESERVE TRAVELS MORE THAN 100-THOUSAND MILES A YEAR.... PLAYING AT 400 LOCATIONS AROUND THE WORLD.

IF YOU'RE STILL LOOKING FOR A FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATION TO TAKE IN... YOU HAVE PLENTY OF OPTIONS.
TOMORROW... YOU CAN HEAD TO JULIETTE BETWEEN 10-30 AND 3-30 TO CHECK OUT THE FESTIVITIES AT JARRELL PLANTATION.
AT NOON... THEY'LL HAVE A READING OF THE DECLARATION OF INDEPENDENCE... FOLLOWED BY GAMES AND CRAFT DEMONSTRATIONS.
ON SUNDAY... YOU CAN CHECK OUT THE CELEBRATION IN FORSYTH.
THEIR CELEBRATION STARTS AT THE MONROE COUNTY RECREATION DEPARTMENT AT 7 P-M... AND INCLUDES A 3-D FIREWORKS SHOW AT 9-30.
ON MONDAY... JOIN THE CELEBRATION AT LAKE TOBESOFKEE.
GATES OPEN AT 9 A-M AT SANDY BEACH.
LIVE MUSIC WILL TUNE UP AT 6 P-M... AND THE FIREWORKS SPARK OFF AT 9-30.
ADMISSION WILL COST THREE BUCKS PER PERSON... AND THERE'S A BOAT FEE OF FOUR DOLLARS.
FOR MORE DETAILS ON FOURTH OF JULY CELEBRATIONS AND SHOWS... CHECK OUT THE COMMUNITY CALENDAR AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.
YOU'LL FIND IT ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE PAGE.

TODAY'S 13WMAZ DOT COM WEB POLL ASKS... WILL YOU ATTEND A COMMUNITY CELEBRATION FOR THE FOURTH OF JULY?
SO FAR 79 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YOU WON'T.
AND 21 PERCENT OF YOU SAY YES... YOU WILL.
VOTE NOW... LOOK FOR THE QUESTION ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF OUR HOMEPAGE AT 13WMAZ DOT COM.

MACON'S POLICE CHIEF SAYS TWO CRIMINAL INVESTIGATIONS ARE NOW ONE.
HE ANNOUNCED TODAY THAT INVESTIGATORS BELIEVE MISSING WOMAN LAUREN GIDDINGS WAS KILLED.
LAUREN DISPIRITO SHOWS YOU WHY POLICE SAY THEY'RE CONFIDENT THEY FOUND HER BODY.
AFTER SAYING THEY WERE CONDUCTING DUAL INVESTIGATIONS... ONE INTO A MACON LAW GRAD'S DISAPPEARANCE... THE OTHER INTO A BODY FOUND NEAR HER HOME... MACON POLICE FRIDAY LINKED THE TWO CASES.

Mike Burns, Police Chief: "the missing person we're going to treat it as she is the homicide victim"

BURNS SAYS THEY HAVE NOT BEEN ABLE TO POSITIVELY IDENTIFY THE BODY... BECAUSE OF ITS CONDITION.

Reporter: Was the body dismembered?
Chief I'm not going to answer that out of respect for the family.

HE SAYS THEY BELIEVE IT'S THE BODY OF 27 YEAR OLD LAUREN GIDDINGS... REPORTED MISSING SINCE SATURDAY.

Mike Burns, Police Chief "the location is the main thing plus the length of time she's been missing and we've got some other things that I just can't discuss right now."

POLICE ARE WAITING FOR D-N-A TESTS TO CONFIRM IT... BUT SAY THEY NO LONGER CONSIDER HER A MISSING PERSON.
MACON MAYOR ROBERT REICHERT WENT TO THE NEWS CONFERENCE TO SUPPORT LAW ENFORCEMENT AND HIS FAMILY.

Mayor Robert Reichert: "This is personal for us as well, right, my daughter just finished law school with Lauren and was in the same class."

FRIDAY... POLICE SEARCHED THE CITY LANDFILL. THEY WOULD NOT SAY WHY OR WHAT LED THEM THERE.... BUT CALLED OFF THE SEARCH AROUND THREE O'CLOCK AND SAY THEY DO NOT PLAN TO GO BACK.

INVESTIGATORS LOOKED FOR CLUES AND TALKED TO PEOPLE NEAR GIDDINGS GEORGIA AVENUE HOME... WHERE AUTHORITIES BELIEVE THEY FOUND HER BODY.

BURNS SAYS THEY HAVE PEOPLE OF INTEREST IN THE CASE... AT LEAST 2 WHO KNEW GIDDINGS.

ONE OF THEM IS GIDDINGS' NEIGHBOR... STEPHEN MCDANIEL
HE APPEARED IN COURT FOR THE FIRST TIME FRIDAY... ON TWO CHARGES OF STEALING PERSONAL ITEMS FROM NEARBY APARTMENTS....MORE THAN TWO YEARS AGO.
BIBB COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY GREG WINTERS SAYS MCDANIEL IS NOT CHARGED WITH STEALING FROM GIDDINGS...

Greg Winters, Bibb County District Attorney: "police are doing an investigation to see if there are other possible burglaries that he was involved in."

POLICE SAY THEY CONSIDER MCDANIEL A PERSON OF INTEREST IN GIDDINGS' KILLING.
HE IS BEING HELD WITHOUT BOND.

NEXT... BURNS SAYS HE WANTS INVESTIGATORS TO SEARCH AGAIN NEAR GIDDINGS' HOME.

LAUREN DISPIRITO
13 WMAZ
EYEWITNESS NEWS
POLICE CHIEF MIKE BURNS SAYS HE HOPES TO HAVE RESULTS BACK FROM DNA TESTS ON THE VICTIM'S BODY EARLY NEXT WEEK.

TWENTY-SEVEN YEAR OLD LAUREN GIDDINGS GRADUATED FROM MERCER LAW SCHOOL THIS SPRING.
A FRIEND SAYS SHE WAS STUDYING TO TAKE THE BAR EXAM... AND WANTED TO BECOME A CRIMINAL DEFENSE ATTORNEY.
TODAY MERCER LAW SCHOOL DEAN GARY SIMSON ISSUED A STATEMENT ABOUT GIDDINGS.
HERE IS PART OF WHAT IT SAID.
"[LAUREN] DEMONSTRATED OUTSTANDING CHARACTER AND GREAT PROMISE.
OUR HEARTS GO OUT TO HER FAMILY IN LAUREL, MARYLAND AND TO HER MANY FRIENDS THERE AND ELSEWHERE."
JASON KEITH SAYS HE MET GIDDINGS TWO YEARS AGO WHEN SHE JOINED A RUNNERS-GROUP. KEITH SAYS THEY WERE SUPPOSED TO GO CAMPING THIS WEEKEND WITH FRIENDS....
HE SAYS HE STARTED TO WORRY WHEN SHE STOPPED RETURNING TEXT MESSAGES OR PHONE CALLS...
HE SAYS WITH GIDDING'S PARENTS LIVING IN MARYLAND... THEIR RUNNERS GROUP BECAME AN EXTENDED FAMILY FOR HER IN MACON.
Jason Keith: "I remember her as very hard-working. Very fun-loving. She plays hard, she works hard. Very smart, very dedicated to who he was becoming and who she stood for.
FOR EXTENDED INTERVIEWS AND MORE FROM THIS AFTERNOON'S NEWS CONFERENCE ON THE GIDDINGS CASE... VISIT OUR HOMEPAGE AT 13WMAZ.COM.

YOU MAY BE LOOKING TO GRAB A BITE TO EAT OUTDOORS THIS HOLIDAY WEEKEND.
AND IF YOU'RE PLANNING A DINNER OUT... YOU MIGHT WANT TO CHECK WHAT THE HEALTH INSPECTOR SAID... ABOUT YOUR FAVORITE EATERIES.
AMY AUBERT HAS THIS WEEK'S RESTAURANT RATINGS.
<<
WE'RE BACK IN HOUSTON COUNTY THIS WEEK...STARTING OFF WITH OUR LOWEST SCORES FIRST....
CARINO'S ITALIAN... AT 27-07 WATSON BOULEVARD IN WARNER ROBINS... SCORED 65... THAT'S A U... COMING AFTER A 92... OR AN "A"... LAST TIME.
WAFFLE HOUSE AT 15-01 WATSON BOULEVARD IN WARNER ROBINS SCORED AN 80... A B... FOLLOWING A 91 OR AN "A"... ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
OLE TIMES COUNTRY BUFFETT... AT 12-08 RUSSELL PARKWAY IN WARNER ROBINS... SCORED AN 83... THAT'S A B... COMING AFTER A 76... OR A "C"... LAST TIME.
AND CRACKER BARREL AT 2700 WATSON BOULEVARD IN WARNER ROBINS ALSO GOT AN 83... A "B" FOLLOWING A 90... OR AN "A" ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
NOW FOR A LOOK THE TOP SCORES OF THE WEEK... AND THIS WEEK'S GOLDEN SPATULA WINNER...
SHENANIGAN'S PUB AT 1291 SOUTH HOUSTON LAKE ROAD IN WARNER ROBINS... SCORED A 99... AFTER A PERFECT 100... ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
TASTY CRUST PIZZA... AT 12-40 SOUTH HOUSTON LAKE ROAD IN WARNER ROBINS... SERVED UP TWO 100'S... ON ITS LAST TWO INSPECTIONS.
AND YESTERDAZE BAR AND GRILL.. AT 26-07 MOODY ROAD... WHIPPED UP A 99... AN "A'... AFTER SCORING A 98... ANOTHER "A"... ON THE INSPECTION BEFORE.
WE AVERAGED OUR NOMINEES PAST FOUR SCORES... AND THIS WEEK'S GOLDEN SPATULA GOES TO.....
TASTY CRUST PIZZA... WITH A PERFECT FOUR SCORE AVERAGE... OF A 100.
CONGRATULATIONS TO EVERYONE OVER AT TASTY CRUST PIZZA.
JOIN US AGAIN NEXT WEEK... FOR MORE RESTAURANT RATINGS.
AMY AUBERT... 13 WMAZ... EYEWITNESS NEWS. >>
FOR ALL YOUR BIBB AND HOUSTON COUNTY RESTAURANT RATINGS... GO TO OUR WEBSITE 13WMAZ DOT COM.
CLICK THE FEATURES TAB... AND SCROLL DOWN TO RESTAURANT RATINGS.

OVERNIGHT LOW TEMPS WILL BE AROUND 70 WITH A CHANCE OF SHOWERS AND THUNDERSTORMS. TOMORROW IS BACK IN THE MID TO UPPER 90'S WITH A SMALL CHANCE OF AN AFTERNOON SHOWER OR THUNDERSTORM, OTHERWISE MOSTLY SUNNY.

TONIGHT'S FACEBOOOK FAN OF THE DAY... DYLAN DYKES!
CONGRATULATIONS DYLAN... YOU'LL GET A 13WMAZ COFFEE MUG MAILED TO YOU.
GETTING INTO THE RUNNING FOR FAN OF THE DAY IS AN EASY THREE-STEP PROCESS.
ONE... VISIT FACEBOOK DOT COM SLASH 13WMAZ.
TWO... BECOME A FAN... AND THREE... GET IN ON THE CONVERSATIONS.
WE PICK OUR FAN OF THE DAY RANDOMLY.